No boring brown bag lunch for me

A great way to save money is to pack your own lunch. But for those who do it often, bordem can set in. Here are some ways to make the brown bag luch less boring.


THE SANDWICH
It seems to be the basis of many lunches on the go. The typical white bread sanwich that somehow seems to get squished during transport has got to go.

Change up your bread. There is a world of bread out there. Look at your local store. Rolls, artisan loaves, french bread, Buns, flat breads, pitas, tortillas, biscuts,bagels, english muffins, the options are  nearly endless. 

Change up the fillings.  Are your sandwiches always the same boring filling (coldcuts)?  If so, try something new. There are so many options out there. Make it a point to try something new at least once a week.

Make the sandwich fresh on the spot. There is nothing worse than an old soggy sandwich. When I pull out the fixings and make it fresh right there it gets people's attention.  I have a small container that I put my Toppings in.(lettuce, tomato, pickle, peppers, onions etc). I also keep a small container of spread. These can be prepared the night before. Pop them into your luch container along with the protiens and bread and you are ready to go. 

I once had a job and when I pulled out some precooked bacon and made a BLT sandwich right there. My co-workers  were in amazement.  The next week when I pulled out a leftover hamburger from a barbeque and heated it in the toaster oven. my Co-workers went into overdrive.

It became a sport to try and guess what would be in my lunchbox everyday.  It made lunchtime kind of fun. 


THE SIDES

 Chips and cookies are not it.  There are so many other options out there.  Find  small containers and put good food in them to take with you.

Many fruits and vevetables are naturally portable food.  Those that are not can be cut up and taken along in a container. They are also so wonderful. The can wake up your senses after a long morning.

I remember bringing 1/2 of a small melon to work.  My co-workers couldn't believe that one.

Salads  There are so many salads out there.  They can be made ahead and put into containers ready to go for a good lunch.

Don't overlook the egg  Hard boiled eggs are an easily packed lunch item and full of frugal nutrition. I had a roomate that would put two freshly boiled eggs hot out of the pan into her coat pockets to keep her hands warm.  She then would eat them for lunch later on.

LEFTOVERS

Lunch can be a great way to use up  leftovers. About half of the time my lunch consists of leftovers.  There is no reason that they cannot be taken as a lunch. Make it a point to pack leftovers in lunch size containers.

Think outside the box. One day I used some leftover taco meat and cheese to make a big plate of nachos at luch. The posibilites are endless when you open up your mind to more than just sandwiches.



What are some of your favorites to pack for lunch? How do you get out of the old sandwich rut?  leave a comment below.




this post is linked up with frugal fridays @ lifeasmom.com